2012 BMW 3 Series

The smooth roads are twisty and going downhill, I haven’t blinked even once and the car is flowing through the corners with just the right amount of feedback from the steering, it’s well planted and doesn’t want to let go of the road. I find myself drawn into believing that Iam in some kind of driver’s utopia. But this is not a dream. It’s the all-new BMW 3 Series that will arrive in India in June 2012 and making the occasion even more special is the location - Spain’s majestic Catalan mountain range.

The changes in the car may not seem like a lot on paper but when we headed to the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona to drive it, it turned out to be completely different and a distinct step up from the present car.

I first drove the variant most relevant to India, the 320d. The engine specs are the same -2.0-litre common-rail engine which produces 184PS of maximum power at 4000rpm and 380Nm of torque between 1750 and 2750rpm. The car now offers four standard driving modes. The switch on the centre console allows me to choose between eco pro, comfort, sport and sport plus modes. The 8-speed automatic gearbox is new, replacing the previous six-speeder,and will be standard on all variants of the 3 Series sold in India.The unnecessarily heavy steering was the old 3’s Achilles heel but the 3 Series now has a new electronic power steering which is significantly lighter (a massive boon while parking and in city traffic) while simultaneously offering better precision and feedback than before. It also saves fuel in comparison to the hydraulic assist system because it consumes no power when the steering is held steady.

Then I hopped into to the 328i petrol which now trades in its straight-six (in the 330i that didn’t do well in India) for a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four and - in the Sport  variant - rides 10mm lower. This engine is good for an astonishing (considering the 2.0-litre displacement) 245PS of power between 5000 and 6500rpm and delivers a peak torque of 350Nm between 1250 and 4800rpm. Not only is this 9 per cent more torque than before, it means the car is nearly always at its torque or power peak. The 328i can hit 100kmph in just 5.9 seconds, a full second quicker than the old one, and that’s a very fast time. Part of the reason is the BMW twin-scroll turbo (it is not a twin-turbo despite the Twin Power moniker) which demonstrates a near complete lack of turbo lag and the general throttle response is wonderful. The other petrol is the 320i which uses the same 2.0-litre engine but in non-turbocharged 184PS and 270Nm tune and that is an engine that will power entry-level variants in India.